Hyunjin softly hummed an old tune he couldn't quite remember learning as he slowly made his way through the forest. Following the same route he did every single day, he took his time carefully observing everything around him – from the glowing sap rapidly circulating beneath the semi-translucid bark of the trees to the endless chittering of the nearby pixie nest.

Hyunjin loved doing his rounds. Or, more accurately, he loved his forest, and getting to look after it every single day was nothing short of a blessing. There wasn't anything he cherished more than Vallaheim Woods and his duty as its protector, and he took pride in knowing the forest was safe and peaceful for all its inhabitants thanks to him.

Well, him and—

'TINK' 'TINK' 'TINK' 'TINK' 'TINK'

Hyunjin paused in his observation of a slightly damaged flower, straightening up as the sound grew closer by the second. Like two thin rods of silver hitting each other, with a slightly buzzing undertone, Hyunjin easily recognized the noise as that of a Leafman approaching – or, more specifically, a Leafman riding a hummingbird (the sound was that of the saddle).

He barely had the time to turn around before the hummingbird and its rider suddenly appeared right in his face, and he immediately offering the Leafman a small smile.

"Jisung," he greeted. "What can I do for you on this fine day?"

Leafman were extremely small-sized, the tallest ones not even the size of a human nail, meaning they moved and spoke faster than bigger-sized creatures. As such, their speech couldn't be understood by most people. However, Hyunjin wasn't most people, and he was attuned enough to the forest to understand all of its inhabitants. So, he easily understood when Jisung informed him, in a frenzied state, that he and a scouting squad had just discovered a breach in the magical barrier. Hyunjin's eyes went wide at the news, a foreboding feeling filling his guts like ice-cold water.

"Show me," he breathed out.

He didn't need to ask twice. Jisung promptly took off at high speed, Hyunjin quickly following after him. He was mindful not to damage anything or hurt anyone, but he still hurried a tad recklessly, almost losing his footing more than once. It took him a couple of minutes but, eventually, they reached the magical barrier.

The frontier between Hyunjin's territory and the Human kingdom.

The barrier was the sole reason for Hyunjin's existence. He was the most powerful wizard in the world, and the only one capable of keeping up the barrier without outright killing himself, like his Master did before bequeathing his duty to him. This barrier was meant to protect Vallaheim and all of its inhabitants from the ever-growing poison that was the Human race and, to this day, Hyunjin had never failed once in his task.

Except now, there was a breach. Barely noticeable, like a thin crack starting from the ground and reaching Hyunjin's waist – big enough to let a Human crawl through. The only way they could have possibly breached the barrier in the first place, however, was if they someone got their hands on an extremely powerful magical artifact – and, ever since the magical folk had begun receding from what was coming to be known as the Human realm, those artifacts had become extremely hard to come by, if not impossible.

But someone did manage to get their hands on one and, if Hyunjin hadn't even sensed it, then it could only mean one thing: whoever had infiltrated Vallaheim was in the possession of a unicorn horn that still retained enough magic to break through. However, the magic in a unicorn horn was a volatile thing and, from the crystal-like shards he could see a little further away, they'd obviously used up all of it.

In other words, though the intruders had found their way inside, they had no viable way of going back now that their only mean of breaching the barrier was used.

Unless...

"Rally your forces! Urge everyone to hide immediately! Inform them that an unknown number of Humans has entered the forest and they are to avoid them at all costs!" he ordered, growing more anxious by the second. "Jisung, grab more riders and find Kkami immediately!"

All of the Leafmen saluted before promptly taking off to execute his orders and, a tad breathlessly, Hyunjin closed his eyes and forced his breathing to calm down. If he wanted to locate Kkami, then he needed to relax and focus on his connection with Vallaheim. He needed to listen, though it wasn't easy with the erratic noise of his heart beating in his ears.

Come on, come on, come on...!

He'd sworn an oath to protect Vallaheim and all of its inhabitants, and he'd be damned if he broke that oath after over two centuries of upholding it.

.

Night fell.

The Humans still couldn't be found. Neither could Kkami.

It was late, and Hyunjin was growing tired of this never-ending hunt. Most of all, though, he felt scared, and that was the sole thing keeping him going. Many of the older inhabitants had joined in on the search as well, though most elected to stay hidden as per Hyunjin's instructions, but even with the entire forest alert, they couldn't seem to find either the intruders or the Guardian.

"Hyunjin."

"Minho!" The wizard halted, out of breath, and watched as the dryad slowly extracted himself from the nearby tree. "What news do you bring?"

Minho was an old friend, in all senses of the term. He was one of the most ancient beings in Vallaheim, and also one of Hyunjin's closest confidantes. As such, Hyunjin easily noticed the downturn of his lips, or the spark of sorrow in his green eyes.

"... Minho?"

.

Hyunjin could only stare in disbelief as he slowly took in the terrible sight. There, laying in the blood-soaked soil, was the mangled and desecrated corpse of Kkami. The unicorn laid on his side, his four legs clearly broken in many places, with numerous gashes all over his sides, his white coat covered with thick, silver blood that eerily reflected the moonlight despite it being completely dry by now.

Kkami was dead.

"They took his horn," murmured Minho. "It obviously happened much earlier during the day – meaning they've long since escaped."

"Ah... ah..." Grief and anger surged through Hyunjin's blood, and a pained, rage-filled wail clawed its way out of his throat. "AAAAAAAAAARGH!!!"

The forest fell uncharacteristically silent as the echoes of his cry were carried throughout, and Hyunjin felt fire engulfing his heart. He could feel power thrumming under his skin and burning his fingertips and, though he wanted to cry, all he could feel at the moment was the irrepressible urge to find the culprits and make them pay.

"Hyunjin—"

"Look after everyone."

It was Humans who killed his best friend, and so Humans Hyunjin would kill in return – and he wouldn't rest until he got his hands on the culprits and claimed justice for the life, peace, and future they'd all just mercilessly stolen.

.

.

.

.

.

"We must do something! This is the fourth village, Christopher!"

"I've already sent numerous battalions—"

"Well clearly, those didn't work!"

King Christopher sighed heavily as he leaned against his throne, rubbing his temple as he closed his eyes to avoid his younger brother's accusing glare. He knew Felix had every right to be angry, and he knew said anger most probably stemmed from Felix's powerlessness to the whole situation, but it didn't make things any easier for him.

Two weeks ago, calamity struck when the feared Dark Wizard Hyunjin went on a rampage and destroyed the village nearest to the Cursed Forest. Then, mere days later, he struck again and destroyed the next village over. And now, with four villages burned to ashes and already countless casualties, they still didn't have a solution.

The five battalions Christopher sent to battle Hyunjin and either take him out or at least force him back within the confines of those accursed woods had all been swiftly dealt with, and not many returned alive from the confrontation – and those who did were either too scathed or too scared to battle him again. Hyunjin truly was too powerful, and Christopher feared what would happen when he finally reached the Capital.

"What do you expect me to do, Felix?" he sighed. "Not even an army could slow him down, so what else can we do but pray he'll tire of his bloodlust soon enough?"

Felix clicked his tongue. "We have gone decades without him ever stepping foot outside of his territory. What changed? Why break the peace now? Surely something must have happened to provoke him into this rage – and if we find out what angered him so, then maybe we will be able to stop him with something other than an army."

Christopher paused, letting his brother's suggestion sink in. It was true that the Dark Wizard had never done anything remotely alike, and most people alive to this day merely believed him to be a myth since it had been so long since he was last sighted. He was obviously quite content to stay within his borders, but something had happened to push him out...

"I will send someone," he finally decided. "If Hyunjin is inclined to talk, then maybe we can find a solution, after all."

"I can go—"

"Changbin will go."

Felix gritted his teeth. "I can do it—"

"I am not risking your life, Felix."

"But you're willing to risk your lover's?" he scoffed.

Christopher narrowed his eyes. "Changbin can defend himself. He knows how to wield a sword, unlike you. And if things turn south, I fully trust him to know when to back down and retreat – whereas you would stubbornly forge forward under the misguided belief that everything can be arranged through pacifism alone."

Felix shot his brother a slightly venomous glare, his mouth clicking shut. He offered his brother a shallow bow before promptly rushing out, obviously angry, and Chan heaved out a tired sigh. He felt somewhat guilty, knowing how much Felix hated to be treated so condescendingly, but it couldn't be helped.

He could worry about his brother's hurt feelings later, however. For now, they had a much more important matter to deal with.

"Changbin!"

.

It took Changbin three days to return to the Capital, thankfully unscathed, and apparently bearing some news. Apparently, he'd managed to approach Hyunjin as he was preparing to attack a fifth village and, after a tensed conversation, Hyunjin agreed to hold off on his attack for a full week. In exchange, however...

"He demands that the culprits behind the attack be given up, in addition to what they have stolen," he recited. "He has, however, refused to elaborate in regard to what was taken. He has given us the rest of the week to bring him who and what he demands, else he will continue his merciless rampage until he's found them himself."

Christopher gritted his teeth but nodded in understanding. "Very well."

"Chris, I don't know where to start—"

"I do. Let's go."

A while ago, three men had shown up requesting a private audience with the King, during which they'd tried to sell him magical wares. Since those had become so rare, it was only natural merchants who somehow managed to acquire them would choose to directly speak with the only people financially able of buying them – royalty, that is. It wasn't the first Christopher met with such people. It was, however, the first time he was ever offered an allegedly real unicorn horn... and he had the distinct feeling that was exactly what Hyunjin was looking for.

.

.

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.

.

Hyunjin glowered as the King himself slowly approached. On the last day of the week-long truce, the King, along with a whole delegation, unexpectedly showed up, and he was now watching as the man approached, accompanied by the Human Hyunjin vaguely remembered discussing the matter with in the first place.

"Wizard," greeted frostily the King, stopping a few meters away from him.

"King," scoffed Hyunjin.

"We have what you requested."

"Oh?"

The King gave a nod, and the man beside him carefully approached Hyunjin. Once he was closed enough, he opened his pouch and carefully pulled out an object wrapped in a piece of purple silk before handing it over. Hyunjin gingerly accepted it, a semblance of relief rushing in his heart as he realized it was, in fact, Kkami's horn.

However, he kept his steely expression as he reported his attention to the King while the man scurried away from him.

"What of the attackers?"

"All three accounted for, and for you to do with as you please."

The King snapped his fingers and, moments later, three men were dragged out of the small crowd by soldiers. They were tied up, but not gagged, and their pitiful pleas and cries for mercy irritated Hyunjin to no end. Without hesitation, he harshly moved his hand upward, as if throwing something... and roots immediately burst from the ground underneath the three men.

 The soldiers quickly backed away as the murderers screamed even louder, but Hyunjin was quick to silence them as his roots pierced them from all sides before eventually crawling out of their ripped-up throats and, in a few seconds, an eerie silence filled the air as all Humans gawked at the three bloody corpses now strung up for all to see.

"They will stay there, as an example of what happens to any who dare cause harm to me or my people," he announced quietly.

"... as you wish. Now that we have given you what you demanded, however, you have no more reason to stay. Return to your woods and rest assured that none of mine will ever come to bother you again—"

"Demanded...? Bother...?" Anger still simmered underneath Hyunjin's skin, ready to boil over at any given moment. "You truly do not... understand the value of what was taken."

"We returned it—"

"And how do you think it was acquired in the first place?" snapped Hyunjin. "They didn't merely steal a horn – they desecrated the corpse of a friend to get it. My friend." The King and his man paled considerably, and Hyunjin's lips curled in a sneer. "And yet, you have the audacity of considering this tragedy nothing more than a bother...?"

"I never meant—"

"A life for a life, King," hissed the Wizard, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I demand just retribution!"

The King bristled. "You have already killed countless of my people—!"

"Collateral damage. The life I demand now is my rightful due. All that was taken must be returned – such was our agreement. And if you cannot abide by your own word, then I will have no qualms burning the rest of your stupid kingdom down!!!"

"... very well." The King appeared... resigned, strangely enough. "But my people have paid enough for the grave blunder of a few. I shall be the one—"

"No."

"You demanded—"

"I can't allow just anyone entry within my domain," scoffed Hyunjin. As if this pretentious, condescending man would ever be granted such an honor. "No, I shall only accept the most pure-hearted. I shall only accept..." As Hyunjin's eyes wandered over the gathered crowd of soldiers and civilians alike, a spark caught his attention and, without hesitation, he pointed at—"him."

A boy, thin and completely swallowed up by the too-large armor he was wearing. He was mostly hidden behind other soldiers, though he'd pushed his way to the front of the crowd after Hyunjin's outburst, with a distinct frown marring his face. What really caught Hyunjin's attention, however, was the aura of the boy.

White. Pure. He'd never seen anything like it in a Human before.

"No," starkly refused the King.

It's only then that Hyunjin noticed the thin, golden crown sitting atop the boy's head, and he belatedly realized he was either the King's son or, most probably, his brother. While it wasn't exactly planned, it was most certainly an added benefit – this stupid King definitely deserved to be taken down a few pegs.

And this way, he shall share in my grief, he thought with gleeful vengeance.

"Yes," he replied, carefully tucking away the horn.

"I will not allow it!" snapped the King, grabbing his sword.

"Then I will kill everyone here and take him anyway."

"You—"

'CLANG'

"Enough!" The Prince had suddenly discarded his armor and was now rushing toward them, determination lighting his gaze. "Chris, it's alright. I'll go with him."

"Felix, you've seen what this monster can do!" hissed the King, roughly grabbing him by the arm before he could get any closer to Hyunjin. "There is no telling what he will do to you. I refuse to let you go—"

"This is not your choice to make, Christopher," replied firmly the Prince, pulling away. He then faced Hyunjin, gulping a bit. "I'll go with you. Please, don't harm anyone else."

Hyunjin merely inclined his head in agreement, and the boy relaxed upon receiving his word. However, just because Hyunjin got what he wanted didn't mean he was in a less foul mood and, not exactly keen on enduring some tearful and never-ending goodbyes, he reached out and grabbed the Prince at once, pulling him to his side.

"Let's go."

"Wait—"

"Felix—!"

Black smoke engulfed the Wizard and the Prince and, next thing everyone knew, the two simply vanished, leaving behind strung-up corpses, terrified people, and a grief-stricken King.

.

Hyunjin stared with mild disgust and growing annoyance at the boy vomited, obviously unused to traveling through magical means. More aggravating than his disgusting retches, however, was the tears now running down his face.

"Get up," Hyunjin ordered, clicking his tongue. "What point is there in shedding tears? You're the one who volunteered."

"You could- you could have at least let me say- say goodbye...!"

Hyunjin rolled his eyes and grabbed Felix's shoulder, pulling him back to his feet before promptly dragging him off, ignoring the boy's protests of how he could walk on his one. He was smaller than Hyunjin, and somewhat frail too, so the Wizard had no issue dragging him around and, after a few seconds, the Prince gave up on struggling and merely did his best to keep up.

 The two eventually found their way to the small castle that had been built right next to the lake – Hyunjin's home within his home. Instead of bringing Felix in through the front door, however, he walked all the way around until they reached a smaller door covered in grime and thick vines.

With a snap of fingers, the door creaked wide open and, without further ceremonies, Hyunjin harshly shoved Felix inside. The freckled boy let out a startled yelp as he stumbled in before ultimately losing his balance and crashing on the floor but, before he could get up, Hyunjin closed the door behind him.

"What- what are you doing?" protested Felix.

Hyunjin scoffed, glaring at him through the bars of the small window. "There are matters I must attend. I will come fetch you once I have a need for you. Until then, behave – I have no patience for the likes of you and I will not hesitate to sew your mouth shut."

His threat obviously worked if the abrupt silence that answered was anything to go by. Satisfied, Hyunjin walked away without another word. With this particular matter dealt with, he still had a lot of work left to do – and, until he was done, the Human Prince could rot in that dungeon.

.

It was cold.

How long have I been here for...?

The Dark Wizard had thrown him in this singular cell before taking his leave and, since then, Felix had counted the sun going down three times already – but he'd heard tales of the Cursed Forest, many claiming that time passed differently within its borders so, for all he knew, he could have very well been trapped for over a week, now.

It was cold. Stuffy.

Felix pulled his knees against his chest just a little tighter in a feeble attempt to conserve some body heat, much in vain. Even during the day, not a single ray of sunlight made it through the small window in the door, and the stone walls of the cell weren't made to conserve heat – they were damp and covered in moss, retaining the humidity, and making it hard to breathe, too. His refined, silky clothes weren't doing much for him at the moment, and they were already ripped and covered in grime.

It was cold. Stuffy. Lonely, too.

He'd never been alone, before. His parents died when he was still too young to retain any memories of them, so his brother Christopher had raised him to the best of his abilities, and Felix had always been able to count on him. And if Christopher wasn't available, then Changbin or one of his friends (usually servants or guards) usually kept Felix company. So, loneliness wasn't exactly something he was acquainted with.

He didn't like it. Frankly, he'd take the terror Hyunjin inspired over the suffocating feeling of this empty cell and emptier silence.

What if he has no intention of doing anything with me? He thought, not for the first time. What if he's only taken me to punish Christopher, and now he'll leave me to rot in this cell, never to see the light of the sun again?

The thought brought tears to his eyes, yet he couldn't shed any – he'd already cried enough in the past few days. Being taken without the opportunity to at least say goodbye and embrace his brother ripped his heart apart, even now, and he wished he hadn't been so hasty in his eagerness to prove himself. Maybe then, he would have at least been able to hug Christopher one last time...

'CREAK'

Felix startled, his eyes going wide as the door of the cell suddenly swung right open, revealing none other than the Dark Wizard standing just outside with an unreadable expression. He no longer appeared in a murderous mood, so Felix figured he was lucky in that regard, but he also had a feeling said luck wouldn't last long.

"Follow me – and don't lag behind. I hate to be kept waiting."

Felix didn't need to be told twice. Scrambling to his feet, he staggered a bit, exhausted by the cold and the lack of food and water, but fueled by the sheer relief that Hyunjin apparently wasn't planning on leaving him to rot. Soon enough, he caught with the Wizard, though he was mindful to keep a respectful distance between them, not wishing to accidentally anger him.

As they walked, Felix couldn't help but let his gaze wander, awe quickly chasing away the remaining dredges of exhaustion. It was still dark outside, though it was now morning, and he could dozens of little lights floating about. The trees and flowers glowed with magic, and there were numerous creatures he'd only seen in picture books roaming about freely and staring at him from afar, mirroring his curiosity.

Before he could get too caught in his observations, however, Hyunjin stopped walking, and Felix did the same. They were now on the shore of the immense lake, though Felix didn't quite understand why Hyunjin had brought him out there – even more so when it was so early in the morning.

"You are going to walk into the lake until the water reaches your waist," then announced Hyunjin, pulling a thin vial with a luminous blue liquid inside. "Once there, you will drink the entirety of this potion."

Felix gulped. "What- what will it do?"

"What does it matter? It's not like you have a choice."

Felix lowered his eyes, properly cowed. Hyunjin was right. Though terrified, it's not like Felix had a choice in the matter. If he refused to obey, the Dark Wizard would either force his hand with his powers, or he'd directly target his people again, and that wasn't something he could allow.

So, with a tense nod, Felix moved forward. Hyunjin nodded, pleased.

"Good. Now strip."

Felix's eyes went wide. "B- beg your pardon?"

Hyunjin's eyes narrowed. "I do not like repeating myself."

Felix gritted his teeth, averting his eyes. Was this Hyunjin's plan, then? To utterly humiliate him? Still, he could hardly refuse so, with shaking hands, Felix began undressing. His fingers trembled as he undid the buttons of his jacket, and goosebumps raised on his arms as he dropped his pants, too. Once only in his undergarments, he exhaled shakily—

"All of it," warned Hyunjin, sounding incredibly bored.

The freckled boy felt tears brimming his eyes, but he refused to let them fall as he also got rid of his undergarments. Though his back was turned to Hyunjin, he was still more exposed than he'd ever been with anyone in his life before, and it scared him. Still, the Dark Wizard didn't say anything, merely handing over the vial and gesturing for him to get a move on. 

Slowly, Felix made his way into the lake, clutching the vial to his chest. A violent shiver ran down his spine as he entered the water, but he kept going until the water reached his waist, as per instructed. Once he stopped, he dared a glance behind him – there, on the shore, Hyunjin was watching him intently with a cold, yet slightly anticipating look.

Felix promptly averted his eyes, looking up to the sky instead. Though it was paler than before, he could still make out a few stars. He closed his eyes, praying to every single god he knew to keep his family safe, then uncorked the vial and promptly drank its full content in one go. It tasted strangely... sweet. Not at all like he was expecting, really. He couldn't feel anything different, though... He gazed down at the vial in confusion but then, a strange sound caught his attention – no, not a sound, a voice.

Behind him, the Dark Wizard had begun chanting some sort of incantation in a tongue Felix couldn't understand.

Something rippled underneath Felix's skin.

He gazed down at his hands, unsure of what to expect. Was Hyunjin turning him into a fish to keep as a pet, or something of the sort? Was this truly his fate, then? Before he could make a move to rush out of the lake and hopefully to safety, however, the sun finally rose above the mountains, further in the horizon. 

Briefly elated at the thought of finally getting to bask into the sunlight after days of darkness, Felix closed his eyes... and promptly opened them as pain suddenly ripped through every single one of his muscles. A throaty shout escaped him as the pain quickly grew, as if his entire being was being burned under the sunlight.

He collapsed, submerging himself underneath the water in an attempt to escape the burning pain, uncaring of the fact that he couldn't breathe. The pain did lessen a bit, but it was still strong enough to briefly knock him out cold... until the lack of air promptly kicked his consciousness back into function and, in a panic, he pushed himself upward. 

He broke through the surface again, breathing heavily. It sounded weird, though it was most probably because he'd been under for too long, and his entire body felt incredibly heavy, for some reason. He swayed a bit, still dizzy from pain and the previous lack of air, but eventually managed to stay upright as the pain finally, slowly went away.

He still felt incredibly sore, for a reason he couldn't fathom, and his limbs felt... weird, for a lack of better term. Finally finding the strength to open his eyes again, the first thing Felix noticed was how everything around him looked exactly the same – except the colors had changed, in a way, and everything looked... bigger, kind of. 

He tried lifting a hand to rub his eyes and hopefully get rid of the strange feeling, but only managed to momentarily lose his balance in the process. Confused, the freckled boy looked down... and failed to find a hand. Or either of his hands, really. Instead, in the rippling water, where his reflection was supposed to be...

What the hell!?

A horse. Why was a horse staring right back at him? He lowered his head to take a closer look, panic quickly settling in when the reflection moved in tandem with him. He stumbled back, horror filling his veins as he finally took notice of his body – gone were the arms and the legs and the skin, all replaced to fit the body of a horse, of all things.

"If I wanted a simple horse, I would have directly asked for it instead of going through all this trouble, wouldn't you think?"

Felix startled, looking up to find Hyunjin. He looked a bit different, but ultimately the same, the man having joined him in the water at some point. His expression softened the slightest bit, a slightly mocking grin now stretching his lips as he carefully slid his hands up Felix's muzzle to eventually rest on his cheeks, gently petting him. Felix instinctively relaxed under the gentle ministrations and, when Hyunjin's words properly registered, he looked down at his reflection again. He was most definitely a horse, but...

No, not a horse, he finally realized as he noticed the extra appendage protruding from his forehead. A unicorn.

Hyunjin had turned him into a unicorn.

"The monsters who broke into my home did not only kill my best friend," hummed Hyunjin, ice weighing on his tongue with every word. "They also killed the very last unicorn in existence, erasing an entire species from this realm for the mere sake of their everlasting greed. So, it was only fair I used another's life to replace the one that was taken, wouldn't you agree?"

What exactly did this entail, though? Was Felix going to be a unicorn for the rest of his life? Was that his Fate, then? To be Hyunjin's pet for eternity?

"With every sunrise, you shall become what I need most. With every sundown, you will regain your natural appearance," murmured Hyunjin. "And with every and each transformation, you shall suffer the burn of my grief tenfold – such is the curse I have casted upon you, Prince Felix." A bittersweet rictus graced his lips. "Let's look forward to our new eternity together, pet."

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Hello everyone! To those who know me, welcome back - and those who don't, welcome aboard!

This story was a request by the amazing @creepy-otaku-girl ! Basically, she sent me a bunch of pictures (those at the top), a ship (HyunLix) and I went ahead and created something out of it! I hope you guys all enjoy the ride~

TRIGGER WARNINGS: It's important to note that there is a minor character death (Kkami), the process of grief/grieving, MAJOR angst, something akin to torture I guess? (the curse) and most importantly MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH(S)! 

(SPOLER ALERT!! It has a happy ending, HyunLix live happily ever after, but like... reincarnation, my dudes. That's all I'll say.)

Enjoy!!!